Council committees

If you'd like to present at any of these committees, find out how in this handy factsheet.

Committee Terms of Reference can be found here.

Regulatory Committee (Whakaretea)

Council assigns to the Committee responsibilities from time-to-time, and the Committee provides advice and reports back to Council on:

• the approval of non-notified resource consent applications;
• the need for formal review and amendment of existing plans, strategies and by-laws;
• the consideration and determination of notified consent applications that are unable to be dealt with via the existing Delegations to staff (via the appointment of qualified hearing panels);
• the appointment and performance of hearing committees/panels;
• the implementation of NPS, frameworks, and environmental standards required;
• the monitoring of regional plans, strategies and bylaws.
• compliance and enforcement activities, including those relating to permitted activities, resource consents and biosecurity matters.

Chairman: Cr Neville Cook

Deputy Chairman: Cr Jeremy McPhail

Members: Crs Gibson, Guyton, McDonald, Rodway, Horrell (ex-officio)

Quorum: 4

Strategy and Policy Committee (Rautaki me Mahere)

Council assigns to the Committee responsibilities from time-to-time, and the Committee provides advice and reports back to Council on:

• the provision of governance oversight into the development and review of plans, policies, strategies and by-laws;
• the recommendation to notify proposed changes or variations to proposed Plans, Policies, Strategies and By-laws;
• the governance oversight of consultation related to regional policies, plans and strategies;
• the appointment of hearing committees or panels to hear submissions on regional policies, plans and strategies;
• undertaking Water and Land Plan associated project work;
• the receipt, and if necessary endorsement of, scientific studies/reports; receipt of SOE reports and/or score cards;
• the compiling of submissions to Government as needed (if the Council timetable does not provide for same)

Chairman: Cr Lyndal Ludlow

Deputy Chairman: Cr Maurice Rodway

Members: Crs Cook, Evans, Gibson, Guyton, McDonald, McPhail, Pemberton, Morrison, Roy, Horrell (ex-officio)

Mana whenua representatives: Stewart Bull and Anne Wakefield

Quorum: 7

Regional Services Committee (Ropu Ratonga-a-Rohe)

Council assigns to the Committee responsibilities from time-to-time, and the Committee provides advice and reports back to Council on:

• governance oversight and monitoring of the non-regulatory implementation of Council plans, strategies and by-laws, including (but not limited to):
  • River Corridor Concept Plans
  • clean heat
  • pollution prevention
  • environmental education
  • land sustainability
  • the Waituna response.
• managing the relationship of Council with the Catchment Liaison Committees;
• governance oversight of and recommending programmes for delivery of flood protection and drainage maintenance;
• governance oversight of and recommending programmes of work related to the Regional Pest Management Plan;
• governance oversight of and recommending programmes of work that promote sustainable resource management practices.
• governance oversight of the management of Council’s lease land via the Land Administration Committee.

Chairman: Cr Peter McDonald

Deputy Chairman: Cr Eric Roy

Members: Crs Evans, Ludlow, McPhail, Pemberton, Rodway, Horrell (ex-officio)

Mana whenua representatives: Gail Thompson and Estelle Pera-Leask

Quorum: 5

Finance and Performance Committee

Council assigns to the Committee responsibilities from time-to-time, and the Committee provides advice and

reports back to Council on:

• oversight of tasks associated with the development of organisational strategic plan;
• governance input into the development of output plans and budgets together with associated financial policies which support the delivery of the strategic plans, especially Long-term Plans and Annual Plans;
• governance oversight of performance reporting to Council regularly, including makingrecommendations as required, relating to Local Government Act annual reporting and audit by:
• reviewing periodic high level output reporting against targets and investigating areas ofsignificant non-performance;
• reviewing related financial performance against budget and investigating areas of significant nonperformance;
• monitoring overall financial wellbeing against budget;
• providing governance oversight to the completion of external audits including consideration of internalcontrols;
• governance oversight to the maintenance and development of corporate disciplines andinfrastructure, including facilities, systems and risk management procedures;
• governance oversight to delegations of authority and associated internal organisational policy development.

Chairman: Cr Maurice Rodway

Deputy Chairman:

Members: Crs Ludlow, McPhail, Morrison, Pemberton, Horrell (ex-officio)

Quorum: 3

Risk and Assurance Committee

Chairman: (Independent Chair)

Deputy Chairman:

Members: Crs Gibson, Ludlow, McPhail, Morrison, Rodway, Horrell (ex-officio)

Quorum: 4

Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group (Te Manatu Arai Mate Ohorere o te Tonga)

The Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 requires the establishment of a joint committee of representatives from all local authorities in the region.

The councils have established the Southland Emergency Management Group (SCDEMG) as a joint standing committee of the councils pursuant to Section 12 of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 (the Act). The terms of reference are set out in the Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan 2017-2022 and the Agreement of Joint Civil Defence Services signed 1 July 2019.

After a comprehensive review of the Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) in Southland the councils have agreed that their responsibilities for CDEM under the Act shall be combined and delivered through one body to be known as Emergency Management Southland (EMS) with the intention that each Council is to be an active equal participant in the establishment development and control of it.

EMS comprises an Emergency Management Office and Emergency Operations Centre in Invercargill with such other sub-offices and centres that are deemed necessary by agreement and shall have the purposes and functions and be governed by the principles set out in the agreement. EMS is located in a building alongside Environment Southland's offices and is staffed by a manager and several emergency management staff.

Members: Environment Southland's representative on the Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is Cr Neville Cook (alternate: Chairman Nichol Horrell).

Representatives from 3 out of the 4 councils need to be present.

Regional Transport Committee (Ropu Tiaki Waka-a-Rohe)

The Regional Transport Committee is responsible for regional land transport in relation to the Transit New Zealand Act 1989. Its objectives are to:

• prepare a Regional Land Transport Plan and to act as a forum on land transport issues;
• promote and facilitate the establishment and maintenance of an appropriate, safe and efficient land transport system within the Southland region and linking it to the rest of New Zealand.

Chairman: Cr Jeremy McPhail

Members: Crs Morrison, Horrell (ex-officio) with TA representatives and NZTA representatives.

Quorum: 4

Climate Change Sub-Committee

The Climate Change sub-committee, which meets once every two months, consists of six councillors as well as a mana whenua representative and will report to the Strategy and Policy Committee on its progress.

Its objectives are to:

• to help drive Environment Southland’s action on climate change.
• report to the Strategy and Policy Committee on its progress.

Chair: tbc

Members: Crs Guyton, Ludlow, McDonald, Morrison, Rodway, Roy, Horrell (ex officio)

Mana whenua representative: Stewart Bull

Quorum: 4

Chief Executive Review sub-committee

The Chief Executive's Review Sub-committee is tasked with undertaking all performance reviews of the Chief Executive. The reviews will cover matters recorded in the Chief Executive's employment agreement, any performance agreement that is in place, any matters arising from undertakings given or received at previous review dates and any other matter that is timely and relevant to cover at such a review.

Its objectives are to:

• provide the Council with a formal process for regular review and planning with the Chief Executive in terms of the Council's performance expectations;
• prepare and adopt a Performance Agreement between the Council and the Chief Executive;
• assist the Chief Executive to identify areas and priorities for efficiency and baseline reviews;
• receive briefings and act as a governance sounding board for organisational change and improvement processes;
• review and recommend remuneration and other conditions of employment on behalf of Council;
• develop, with the Chief Executive, and recommend professional development programmes and initiatives to further develop the Chief Executive.

Chairman: Chairman Nicol Horrell

Members: Crs Cook, Ludlow, McDonald, McPhail, Rodway

Quorum: 3

Investment Committee

Council assigns to the Committee responsibilities from time-to-time, and the Committee provides advice and reports back to Council on the Council’s Investment Portfolio and undertake related activities to help maximise the returns to Council. This will include:

• providing Council with an annual strategic plan for the Investment Portfolio as a whole, ensuring that it meets Council’s financial goals;
• reviewing and where appropriate, recommending to Council changes in policies that relate to the management of the Investment Portfolio, or the Statement of Investment Performance and Objectives (the SIPO);
• advising Council on new commercial investments outside of the SIPO;
• undertaking annual strategic asset reviews (including annual reviews of third-party managers, where relevant);
• considering, informing, or advising Council on matters relating to the performance of the Investment Portfolio as a whole and each of the major assets included in the portfolio, including the performance of any third-party managers of those assets;
• managing key strategic relationships, including:
  • liaising with senior management / the Board of South Port New Zealand Limited (SPNZ) and Council, to discuss matters relating to Council’s investment in SPNZ;
  • considering, informing or advising Council on matters relating to the governance of SPNZ including those dealt with at Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings in accordance with Council policy;
  • leading any third-party engagement on Council approved change in shareholding in SPNZ, including recommendations to Council.
  • liaising with senior management of the Managers of the Managed Fund portfolio, to ensure that they understand Council’s objectives for its investment, and manage and monitor the performance of the Investment Manager against the SIPO;
• advising the Risk and Assurance Committee about any investment performance or provider risks that they need to be aware of and govern;
• advising Council on current or potential debt facilities used to fund assets in the Portfolio and manage key strategic relationships with debt providers.

The Investment Portfolio includes:

• the majority shareholding in South Port New Zealand (SPNZ), a strategic asset of Council;
• the Managed Fund portfolio governed by the SIPO,
• property owned by Council, including land associated with civic buildings and the associated civil defence / emergency management site, and in some circumstances, land that is primarily held for flood management purposes (and possibly leased out and generating a rental return);
• any other commercially material investment assets held outside of the SIPO; and
• debt facilities used to fund assets in the Portfolio.

The Committee will have at least one, but not more than two, independent members.

Chairperson: Independent member (to be appointed)

Deputy Chairperson: Councillor Roy

Members: Councillors McPhail, Ludlow, McDonald, Pemberton, Rodway, Gibson, Evans, Horrell (ex-officio)

Quorum: Three (once an independent member has been appointed, one must be an independent appointee)

Other Appointments